Ships accomodation ladder

ABSTRACT

An arrangement including two spaced platforms and a ladder portion extending there between. The ladder portion is at each end provided with a hinge connection with the adjacent platform. Either of them may thus be used as upper platform, while the other occasionally serves as a davit for lowering the free end of the ladder portion. Both platforms are further mounted so they, in use, can be swung about a vertical pivot to permit the ladder portion to be brought to a position extending angularly away from the ship&#39;&#39;s side.

United States Patent [191 Nilsson Dec. 24, 1974 [541 SHIPS CQMMQDATIQRLAQDEBW [75] Inventor: Per Nilsson, Vastra Frolunda,

Sweden [73] Assignee: AB Welin, Askim, Sweden [22] Filedi Jan. 30, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 437,918

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 30, 1973 Sweden 7301236 [52] US. Cl. 182/84, 114/221 R [51] Int. Cl. E06c 9/00 [58] Field of Search 114/05 R, 221 R; 182/84 [56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1/1950 France 182/1 Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix Assistant ExaminerJesus D. Sotelo Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT An arrangement including two spaced platforms and a ladder portion extending there between. The ladder portion is at each end provided with a hinge connection with the adjacent platform. Either of them may thus be used as upper platform, while the other occasionally serves as a davit for lowering the free end of the ladder portion.

Both platforms are further mounted so they, in use, can be swung about a vertical pivot to permit the ladder portion to be brought to a position extending angularly away from the ships side.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED DEC 24 I974 sum 3 nr 3 viewed from above,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention refers to a ships accomodation ladder of the type comprising an upper platform and a ladder portion connected thereto, as well as a davit for operating the ladder portion.

The local arrangements at various quays do not always permit a localication of a ship in such a manner that an accomodation ladder can be swung out, free of bodies or buildings located at the quay. Even when the ship is moored at dolphins or buoys the arrangement may be such as to prevent the lowering of the ladder. It has been proposed to mount the ladder in such a manner that it may be displaced along the ships side, but this is a complicated and expensive design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aim of the present invention is to design the accomodation ladder so alternative arrangement for lowering the same from two different positions are at hand. This is made possible by the accomodation ladder comprising in combination two spaced platforms, about level with a deck of the ship and extendible outside the side thereof, a ladder portion extending between said platforms and having disengageable means at each end for forming, at will, a hinge connection with the adjacent platform, and a winch for operating wire means from the ship to one of the platforms, past the ladder portion to the other platform and back to the ship.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an accomodation ladder according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a view of a platform of the ladder, as

FIG. 3 is a section along line III'III in FIG. 2, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 show sections through two different embodiments of the ladder portion.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An accomodation ladder according to the invention includes two spaced brackets 1 and 2, hingedly connected to the ships deck, about level therewith, and interconnected by atorsion bar 3 so as to be moved together. A platform, 5 and 6 respectively, is pivotably mounted at each bracket by means of a trunnion 4. A ladder portion 7 extends between the two platforms 5 and 6, and is optionally connectable to any of them.

Each platform 5 and-6 has a double function. On the one hand as a pivotable platform to which the ladder portion is connected, and on the other hand as a davit for raising and lowering the occasionally free end of the ladder portion. Each platform is provided with a double pulley 9, pivotable about a horizontal axis 8 and con taining two pairs of sheaves 10. The platforms are substantially rectangular and further sheaves l1 and 12 are mounted at their corners.

Further sheaves 13 are fitted at each corner of the ladder portion 7. A wire 14 is led over these pulleys and sheaves and each end thereof is connected to a wire drum l5, 16 of a winch 17. The wire portions 14a, 14b form a loop, which from the winch is led over sheaves l8 and 19, respectively, mounted at some ships structure to the double pulley 9 at platform 5, and then by way of sheaves ll, 12 and 13 to the other platform 6. This is designed in the same manner as the first mentioned one 5, and the wire portions are byway of its double sheave 9 led over a sheave 20 mounted at some ships structure above last mentioned platform.

Between each end-of'the ladder portion 7 and the adjacent platform 5 or 6, respectively, a connection mechanism 21 is fitted. This includes a displaceable device, which is operable manually or mechanically, for

instance by a pneumatic servomotor, for bringing one or more gudegeon pins 22 into engagement with hinge portions 23 and 24 at the platforms 5 or 6 and at the ladder portion 7, respectively. By means of these connection mechanisms 21 either end of the ladder portion may, in use, be engaged with, or disengaged from, the adjacent platform 5 or 6. For stowing purposes both ends of the ladder portion are connectable to the platforms.

As the same ladder portion has to be used in two alternative positions the steps 25 thereof are composed of twin planes 25a and 25b, arranged at an angle to each other, the arrangement being such that one group of planes, 25a will be substantially horizontal in one, alternative position of the ladder, while the other planes, 25b, are substantially vertical. As the inclination of the ladder portion 7 with respect to the horizontal plane will depend upon the occasional loading of the ship it may be advantageous to design the planes slightly vaulted as shown in FIG. 5, whereby the disadvantage of inclined step planes is avoided.

An accomodation ladder according to the invention is operated in the following manner.

In stowed-away position the brackets 1 and 2 together with platforms 5 and 6 and ladder portion 7 are swung upwards against the bulwark 26. When wire 14 is paid out the brackets will be swung about the torsion bar 3 until they are brought to a substantially horizontal position. The swinging movement ofthe brackets is limited by supports 27. Depending upon the desire to direct the ladder forwards or aftwards one end of the ladder is disengaged from the adjacent platform by means of the pertaining mechanism 21, whereupon the lowering operation may continue. The disengaged platform will then serve as a davit.

If some obstacle on the quay should prevent the lower end of the ladder portion from resting upon the quay immediately along the ships side, the ladder portion may be swung out from the ship during the lowering operation. The platform 5 or 6, respectively, to which the upper end of the ladder is occasionally attached, is then swung about trunnion 4 to the desired extent, the other end of the ladder portion still being suspended by the wire from the other platform.

For this operation it is important that the double pulley 9 is located above said trunnion 4. The fact that pulley 9 may swing about an axis parallel to the axis of the hinge between the platform and the ladder portion facilitates the folding of the structure against the bulwark.

The raising of the ladder portion is brought about in the same manner, but in reverse order. When the free end of the ladder portion has been connected to its platform a continued hauling at the wire will swing the ladder portion, together with brackets l and 2 to stowed position.

The platform, as well as the ladder portion will, in use, be provided with barriers and handrails (not shown).

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described but a number of variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A ships accomodation ladder comprising in com-- bination two spaced platforms, about level with a deck of the ship and extendible outside the side thereof, a ladder portion extending between said platforms and having disengageable means at each end for forming, at will, a hinge connection with the adjacent-platform, and a winch for operating wire means from the ship to one of the platforms, past the ladder portion to the other platform and back to the ship. a I

2. The accomodation ladder according to claim 1, in which each platform is superposed upon and carried by a bracket hingedly connected to the ship, the platform being pivotably connected to the bracket by a vertical trunnion.

3. The accomodation ladder according to claim 2, in which the hinge axesof the brackets are rigidly interconnected by means of a torsion bar to be moved in unison.

4. The accomodation ladder according to claim 1, in

which each platform is provided with a double pulley for the reception of two wire parts of the wire means, the two parts forming a loop running over a sheave attached t the .ship adjacent to the other platform.

5. The accomodation ladder according to claim 4, in

which each double pulley isaligned with the trunnion forming the pivot axis between the pertaining platform and the bracket carrying the same.

6. The accomodation ladder according to claim 5, in I which each double pulley is mounted at the platform by means permitting it to swing substantially parallel to the hinge axis'between the platform and the adjacent end of the ladder portion.

7. The accomodation ladder according to claim 1, in

' which each step of the ladder portion is formedwith twin planes arranged at an angle to each other, said planes alternatively being used depending upon the ladder portion, in use, being connected to the first or the other platform. 

1. A ship''s accomodation ladder comprising in combination two spaced platforms, about level with a deck of the ship and extendible outside the side thereof, a ladder portion extending between said platforms and having disengageable means at each end for forming, at will, a hinge connection with the adjacent platform, and a winch for operating wire means from the ship to one of the platforms, past the ladDer portion to the other platform and back to the ship.
 2. The accomodation ladder according to claim 1, in which each platform is superposed upon and carried by a bracket hingedly connected to the ship, the platform being pivotably connected to the bracket by a vertical trunnion.
 3. The accomodation ladder according to claim 2, in which the hinge axes of the brackets are rigidly interconnected by means of a torsion bar to be moved in unison.
 4. The accomodation ladder according to claim 1, in which each platform is provided with a double pulley for the reception of two wire parts of the wire means, the two parts forming a loop running over a sheave attached to the ship adjacent to the other platform.
 5. The accomodation ladder according to claim 4, in which each double pulley is aligned with the trunnion forming the pivot axis between the pertaining platform and the bracket carrying the same.
 6. The accomodation ladder according to claim 5, in which each double pulley is mounted at the platform by means permitting it to swing substantially parallel to the hinge axis between the platform and the adjacent end of the ladder portion.
 7. The accomodation ladder according to claim 1, in which each step of the ladder portion is formed with twin planes arranged at an angle to each other, said planes alternatively being used depending upon the ladder portion, in use, being connected to the first or the other platform. 